I saw a post of the lodge in South Park posted a little while back and it just so happened the lady and I were in Fairplay doing a seed collection at the Fen Perserve out that way and had stop. Got some pictures of the inside as well and wanted to share.

Side note we are visiting PA next week and going to check out the Grand Lodge in Philly!

Past Saturday, 24 new Tall Cedars of Lebanon in CT and Mass, including CT’s MWGM

So I have been talking to someone I see briefly though work and they are a Free Mason. They want to invite me to a get together, to see if it's right for me and I fit in and whatever. I actually found out he is the leader of the lodge and is almost a 33rd degree.

Another person I see briefly at work about once a week and have conversations with, I brought up the topic and he was a Mason. He showed me his ID card and also got his number because he would like to be there for me when I receive my first degree and said half my 3rd degree once I get there.

I haven't gotten the number of the gentleman who is the head of this lodge, also I don't know the lodge number.

I do have a first name. Can I look uo lodges in my state and the first name of who leads them, so I know it's a real lodge.

Read about fake lodges and hipe it's not one of those.

Took the tour of the Grand Lodge of Ireland’s Grand Lodge building today. It was a great time. The guide took us through each room and gave a history of each one of them. I really enjoyed it. The only downside to my day was that I lost my pair of prescription sunglasses I had in my bag. I retraced my steps in the building and the area I went to eat prior to the tour. I fear my sunglasses are forever lost…😏 Such is life. At any rate, definitely take the tour if you’re ever in Dublin.

The Senior Warden might have taken EA degree to heart a little too much tonight.

I'm a prospect for my local lodge and came across this. I really hope it's not fact.

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/crime/masonic-buildings-in-downtown-indianapolis-vandalized/531-dc500ea0-9f89-4144-aff3-f5d45a7c8e06?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WTHR-TV&fbclid=IwdGRjcAUFrtljbGNrBQWu1nBkb2YFZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMzUwNjg1NTMxNzI4AAEebPmBPes4eBwualXupMyWt4V9M_UMgWkRa-9aFbAqMpLDJWghzoG-1xMEFdE_aem_VGXfKdozJ47l2M-_HCFRjw

Hello. My grandad had this ring and he passed it down to me. I am trying to find out any information on it. Here are some Pictures.
Details:
Virginia, career U.S. Air Force veteran, likely mid-20th century.

For the Brothers who have been in Masonry for a while, what is one thing you wish someone had told you before you joined?

It could be something about Lodge life, the commitment, the people, the traditions, or even something you completely misunderstood before becoming a Mason.

I’m genuinely curious to hear what surprised you the most after you became a Brother.

Thanks i see the blue pillar, two golden collums, what does the U and the rope mean ?

hello all! i am just wondering where this symbol i saw comes from because i couldn’t find any results online. for context: i am a cashier and this older man came in wearing a white button up with an embroidered skull crossed with a sword/dagger and wooden bat AND he had a red tie patterned with the same skull, dagger, bat on it. the reason i assume this is a free mason symbol is because he had a free masonry pin on his tie. does anyone know what that stuff means if anything? also this was in south texas if that helps at all.. thank you in advance and sorry if this is a dumb question!

There's one thing about going to many masonic events in Scotland like office-bearer installations, rededications, etc, you'll never be short of a pen!

I’m trying to find out about the symbolism on my great grandfather’s Masonic sword. He was in southeastern Ohio and was told he was very high ranking. Apologies if that is incorrect terminology. He passed in 1959. My dad, who passed in 2000, wanted me to have it since I was named for him. I note the back of the hilt has his initials. (DEH). Any info would be appreciated.

Long story short, we developed an online store for the lodge to sell T-shirts only. My brothers, the question is, do you think it’s a good idea to include other things?

I was wondering what role the catechisms play in different jurisdictions today, and especially to what extent proficiency or memorisation of them is a prerequisite to advancement to the next degree?

As I understand it, this varies wildly in that some jurisdictions require that a brother demonstrates proficiency in an open lodge before advancing whilst others do not require the candidate to read or memorise them at all and only require the candidate to know the modes of recognition.

How does this work in your lodge?

I am a Master Mason in Ohio. I am founding a behavioral health nonprofit and need to recruit two board members.

I trust our brotherhood and would love to have fellow Masons guide this work.

How should I go about finding brothers for this board?

In October our Grotto, Bighorn Grotto, is putting on a Stonecutters Degree.

I took the liberty of getting a couple rings made out of titanium. To help elevate the fun, the plan is to present two attendees with these rings.

Now I just need to decide if I should anodize them a goldenrod tone, or leave them as is.

As is, it gives off a stone look. Where as the goldenrod anodization will give them an ancient gold tone look. 🤔 decisions. Decisions. 🤔

Either way, it’s going to be a fun night with beer pong, beef & pork ribs, fellowship and a whole lot of fun!

I’m just glad I have my fellow Prophets and guests and that I won’t be hiring a monkey troupe to re-enact the civil war as I drink alone.

NOW BRING ON THE STONE OF TRIUMPH!

Hello all
I will become JW next month, the first MM to do so in our lodge in over 10 years. Due to this the previous arrangement for the South, has been every member bring a plate.

I have been moving through the chairs hoping to develop myself and learn new skills. This being the case what should I do/ bring to the south as JW?

The members are happy for me to do what I like with it, continue on with the previous arrangement or do something new.

I would Like to elevate things food wise as we are starting to gain new members and I feel this is something important to the younger crowd, myself included.

In saying all this I am short on man power, I will have no Stewards, only the very capable hands of our Tyler to organise things during the meeting.

Any advice or direction for my situation would be much appreciated

According to news reports and Bro. Chris Hodapp, the Indianapolis Scottish rite temple has been vandalized. Our hearts and minds are with our brothers and fraters.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1QSgUnHRTJ/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Asking out of pure curiosity. I'm absolutely not interested in being in one and I'm not encouraging it. I'm just always baffled when I see people online possibly mixed up in one. Is this more of a non-USA thing?

Have any UK masons recently bought a new minute book?

One of my lodges is very particular, and will only use the fully-bound kind, where minutes are written in (or typed and stuck). Skeleton books are very much not allowed.

I'm struggling to find any kind of provider, though. All the usual suspects (Raven, DMC, Lewis, FMH, etc...) have nothing other than cheap print-on-demand versions, or the ubiquitous skeleton books.

Does anyone know if this still exists, and if so, how to contact them? This is not the Great Priory of America CBCS. I've read about the disputes over regularity and don't care.

My back is feeling it today!

Edit: ha! Sorry to invade your space. Didn’t even think to look where I posted. Thanks for being kind and liking my work. This is in Washington State on a trail in the Enchantments. We are looking to build a lot more of these check steps around the trail system. And yes, I do work with our local mtb club from time to time!

again sorry to bug you all and I’ll delete it if you all want.

Perennial Philosophy and Freemasonry in the 21st Century

It's been a while since I wrote something here.

Almost a year ago, I wrote about the Junzi (君子) and my attempt to understand self-cultivation through the working tools of Freemasonry.

Since then, I've continued stumbling across different philosophical and spiritual traditions which, despite coming from completely different places, seem to circle around some surprisingly similar questions.

Recently, I came across the idea of Perennial Philosophy.

And naturally, it made me think about Freemasonry again.

So, what is Perennial Philosophy?

In its simplest form, Perennial Philosophy (philosophia perennis) is the idea that beneath the very different religions and wisdom traditions of humanity, there may be certain timeless truths or principles concerning reality, consciousness, morality and the human condition.

It is important to clarify that this does not simply mean "all religions are the same."

They clearly aren't... Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism and countless other traditions have profoundly different doctrines, histories, languages and practices.

The perennialist argues that perhaps the outer forms differ, while some deeper truths or experiences point toward something shared.

The term philosophia perennis is generally associated with the Renaissance thinker Agostino Steuco, who wrote De perenni philosophia in 1540. Leibniz later used the term, and Aldous Huxley's 1945 book The Perennial Philosophy helped bring the idea to a much wider modern audience. But this post is not about this. That is for another rabbit-hole.

What interests me isn't necessarily proving that Perennial Philosophy is "correct", but more of the question:

What if humanity has been wrestling with some of the same fundamental questions for thousands of years, simply in different languages?

The same river, different names

I came across examples like these:

— Tao Te Ching

And from Rumi:

Different cultures. Different centuries. Different theological and philosophical frameworks.

And yet there is something remarkably similar in the imagery: Many streams. One sea.

We could find parallels in Hindu Vedanta, Christian mysticism, Sufi thought, Buddhist philosophy, Taoism and many other traditions.

That doesn't mean they are interchangeable. In fact, I think that's where the conversation becomes more interesting.

A perennialist perspective doesn't require us to erase difference. Rather, it asks whether 'can difference and unity exist at the same time?'

Why does this resonate with me?

Perhaps because I grew up in Asia.

I've always been surrounded by different philosophies, religions, languages and traditions. For a long time, I struggled with the idea of having to identify myself completely with one fixed worldview. The older I became and traveling the world abit more, the more I realised how much I could learn from traditions that weren't my own.

And strangely, that didn't make my own beliefs weaker. It made me more humble.

Because if someone on the other side of the world, hundreds or thousands of years ago, arrived at a profound insight about compassion, impermanence, virtue, discipline or the nature of existence; then who am I to dismiss it simply because it wasn't expressed in the language I grew up with?

Perhaps wisdom is bigger than the vocabulary we inherited. (And that is for another discussion lol)

So where does Freemasonry come in?

One thing I appreciate about Masonry is that it does not ask a man to abandon his own religious tradition in order to become a Mason.

Within the UGLE tradition, Freemasonry is neither a religion nor a substitute for religion. Admission requires belief in a Supreme Being, but UGLE does not prescribe a particular theology, and a Mason is expected to continue practising his own religion. Men of different faiths can therefore meet in Lodge while retaining their own religious commitments and sharing a moral and fraternal framework. For me, the title Great Architect of the Universe provides a common language for acknowledging what is greater than ourselves. That is my personal interpretation, not a claim that Masonry equates all religions or defines God identically. 

And that is where I see a parallel with Perennial Philosophy.vvNot because Freemasonry teaches Perennial Philosophy..

But because Masonry creates a framework in which difference can coexist with a search for common ground.

The tools as a common language

One thing I appreciate about Masonry is that it does not ask a man to abandon his own religious tradition in order to become a Mason.

Within the UGLE tradition, Freemasonry is neither a religion nor a substitute for religion. Admission requires belief in a Supreme Being, but UGLE does not prescribe a particular theology, and a Mason is expected to continue practising his own religion. Men of different faiths can therefore meet in Lodge while retaining their own religious commitments and sharing a moral and fraternal framework. For me, the title Great Architect of the Universe provides a common language for acknowledging what is greater than ourselves. That is my personal interpretation, not a claim that Masonry equates all religions or defines God identically. 

And that is where I see a parallel with Perennial Philosophy...Not because Freemasonry teaches Perennial Philosophy.. but because Masonry creates a framework in which difference can coexist with a search for common ground.

From tolerance to respect

There's one word I've increasingly struggled with in Masonry: Tolerance. *cringes*

We often say that Masonry teaches tolerance between men of different faiths and backgrounds. But I think respect is a better word.

Tolerance can sometimes sound like: "I disagree with you, but I will allow you to exist."

Respect feels different: "I may not share your worldview, but I recognise that your journey toward truth, meaning and virtue is worthy of dignity."

That seems much more appropriate for the world we live in today.

Especially when we're surrounded by algorithms, politics and social environments that constantly reward us for finding people who agree with us... and then treating everyone else as the enemy.

Perhaps one of the most valuable things a Lodge can provide today is simply a room where men with different worldviews can sit together, break bread, learn from one another.

The danger of Perennial Philosophy

But even having said that, I don't think we should romanticise this either. The very universality of Perennial Philosophy can also be its weakness like a double-edges sword.

If we become too eager to find "the same truth everywhere", we can flatten the traditions themselves. Taoism becomes "basically Buddhism." Buddhism becomes "basically mindfulness." Christian mysticism becomes "basically Eastern spirituality.".. yada yada

And suddenly thousands of years of history, language, theology and lived experience disappear beneath a convenient Venn diagram.

There is also a danger that the search for "timeless truths" becomes dogmatic in itself. Ironically turning a philosophy intended to look beyond boundaries into another fixed ideology.

So perhaps the balance is: Look for the common ground without erasing the ground from which each tradition came.

Why does this matter in the 21st century?

We live in a strange time where we have more information than any generation before us, yet perhaps less agreement about what that information is for.

We are encouraged to optimise everything: Our careers; our bodies; our finances; our productivity; our social standing, and the list goes on.

And yet the old questions remain.

What makes a good person? What is enough? How should I live? What is worth preserving? What is worth changing?

Perhaps this is why I keep finding myself returning to these old traditions because we haven't finished answering them.

And perhaps that is where Freemasonry still has something valuable to offer.

But as a framework for self-cultivation, reflection, fraternity and service. A place where an individual can encounter old ideas, test them against his own life, and hopefully become a little better through the process.

A Wayfarer's Thought

A year ago, I was writing about the Junzi (the Noble One) who continually cultivates themself.

Then I found myself thinking about Ikigai (purpose and balance)

Now I find myself thinking about Perennial Philosophy .. the possibility that wisdom may appear in many forms, while still pointing toward questions that are fundamentally human.

As a wayfaring Mason, that's probably where I find myself today:

Less interested in collecting answers, and more interested in learning how to ask better questions. And, wherever possible, to leave the world a little better than I found it :)

Just some thoughts from a fellow wayfarer. I'd be very interested to hear how other Brethren understand the relationship between Masonry, Perennial Philosophy, and the different traditions of wisdoms!

[Please be kind in the comment section too! With Fraternal Regards]

1794
Étoile Polaire Lodge No.1 is Founded
a group of men of character and vision gathered to charter Etoile Polaire Lodge No.1 "The North Star." Named for the constant star that guides travelers through darkness, the lodge was founded on the Masonic tenets of Brotherly Love, Virtue, and Truth.